Discus fish for sale

Many Aquatic shops will offer Discus fish for sale, but care should always be taken to ensure that you are buying the right breed of Discus fish, and more importantly Discus that are in good health.

Discus Fish for Sale from an aquatic shop (preferred method)

I always prefer to buy my Discus fish from an actual bricks and mortar store. This will allow you to visually inspect the fish, checking for the following:

Behaviour – A healthy Discus Fish will be bold and alert, they should not be positioned in the corner of the aquarium as if hiding from the other fish. the only exception to this rule is if the fish has only just been added to the tank, in which case it may just need time to adjusts to it’s new environment. It is fairly normal for Discus fish to show mild levels of aggression when in a group, however there will be some fish that appear overly aggressive and can cause injury to other fish.

Disease -Look for torn or ragged fins or abnormal skin on any and all fish in the tank. Healthy Discus fish should take between 60-90 breaths per minute. (younger discus typically breath faster) If the breathing rate appears to be abnormal or if they clamp their fins, this is a sure sign of a stress and probably suggests the fish are either ill or being kept in unsuitable water conditions causing weakness over time.

Colour – If you are looking to buy adult Discus Fish they should be showing good colour for their type. If the Discus are less that 6 months old, the colour will not show, this is where it becomes vital that you have full trust in the seller. The only way you will know how colourful your adult discus fish is likely to be is from what the seller tells you.

Head Shape – It is important that you observe the head shape of any Discus Fish for sale. A concave shape above the eyes will indicate insufficient nutrition, poor water or even gut parasites.. Discus should have a convex shaped brow which will suggest they are getting a healthy diet and are eating well.

Stunted Fish – If all the Discus fish for sale are of a similar age, avoid the smallest as this is a sign that it may have stunted growth. Discus grow fastest when young, so if they are typically small in adolescence it’s a good indication that they wont be particular large in adulthood. Look for eyes that are abnormally big for the size of the fish, a Discus that is not stunted will be rounded with small eyes.

Discus fish for sale online

If you are considering buying Discus fish on-line, you must always choose a trusted and reputable Discus dealer. Not being able to visually inspect the Discus in the aquarium, as described above puts you at an immediate disadvantage. That being said, there are a number of online Discus dealers that have built extremely good reputations for offering consistently high quality Discus fish for sale. The best advice for choosing an online seller is to read a popular Discus Fish Forum and make your decision based on the opinions of the community.